A Study in Friendship
by Lealah Lupin III
Summary: There could never be two people with as strong a friendship as they. They had gone through a lot together, leaned on each other a lot, so it was only natural. This is their story. L/J friendship. No slash. T for smoking and adult themes.


Disclaimer: I don't own Lupin. I do happen to own Lealah, though. She's mentioned like 4 times in this but she's still in it.

A/N: My view of the strongest friendship in Lupin the 3rd, how it started, and why it continues. It was just an excuse to set some canon for my story. Kind of short, kind of compact. I wasn't going to post it at first, but J. Lucy-Daisuke talked me into it. So, if you like it, thank her. Oh, and this is non-slash.

A Study in Friendship

"Hi," the dark boy with hair falling over his eyes said to the smaller one with flipped out hair.

"Hi!" the other boy responded brightly. "What's your name?"

"Jack," the dark one said shyly. "What's yours?"

"Lupin the 3rd!" the smaller one said proudly. Jack frowned.

"That's really long."

"Well, my first name is Arsène."

"Oh, ok. How old are you?"

"Seven. What about you?" Lupin retorted.

"Ten." Jack plopped down on the ground and began to pick up rocks and Lupin followed suit. "Wanna play?"

"Sure. What are you doing?" Lupin asked.

"Throwing rocks at that tree. Betcha I can hit that hole in the trunk," Jack said, throwing a rock up and catching it.

"No way! That's too far away!" Lupin replied.

"Can too! Watch!" He stood and took careful aim. Then, he let the rock fly and it hit neatly in the middle of the knot in the tree that was at least 50 feet away. He smirked and turn toward Lupin proudly.

"Wow! That's awesome! I can't believe you hit it!"

"Jack!" they heard a deep voice call. "We're done here, come on!"

"You too, boy!" Lupin heard his father call. He stood up and the boys looked at each other.

"Let's play together next time we're here too, ok?" Lupin asked.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. Then they both ran back to their respected fathers. "Hey, Dad?" Jack asked. "Is Lupin the 3rd ever gonna come back?"

"Yes, his father is one of our business partners. I imagine that you'll play with him a lot," Jack's father responded. Jack smiled. He liked his new friend, and he was glad that he would get more chances to play with him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A year later, Lupin and his grandfather attended the funeral of Jack's father. Jack stood in front of the casket, looking down. It was closed. Lupin came up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. He couldn't see the older boy's eyes for the hair covering them.

"I'm sorry about your dad, Jack."

"I'm not," Jack responded. His voice was a lot harder than Lupin remembered. "I killed him."

"Why?" Lupin asked. Jack was surprised that he wasn't shocked or frightened.

"He was hurting my sister," Jack growled. "Now they're going to take me and teach me how to work in my father's place."

"My dad's in jail. He doesn't know, but my Grandpa is going to take me and teach me. I asked Gramps to bring me here so I could see you one last time and say bye. I don't think we'll see each other for a while."

"Yeah," Jack said gloomily. The boys had become fast friends like he had never had in the year that they had known each other.

"Hey," Lupin said forcefully. "We're still friends, right? I won't forget you, and you better not forget me!" Jack shook his head.

"Never. Yeah, we're still friends. Always, right?"

"Yeah, always," Lupin agreed. The two stood shoulder to shoulder for a moment, looking down at the casket that held Jack's father.

"_Mon petit loup,"_ and older man called to the younger boy standing beside the coffin. "It is time that we go." The man had a heavy French accent and was dressed impeccably.

"_Oui, Grand-père,"_ Lupin the 3rd called back.

"Gotta go, huh?" Jack asked.

"_Oui…_I mean, yes. Hey, Jack, if you ever change your mind about working where you are call me, ok? Gramps and me'll love for you to work with us."

"Ok. I'll see you around, alright? Lupin?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry…about your sister, I mean," Lupin said, turning to go. Jack appreciated that the younger boy understood just who he was upset for. Lupin waved with false cheer at the even younger girl who was Jack's little sister. Their eyes met and even at their young age she understood. She smiled shyly in thanks at him and waved back. When Lupin turned the smile dropped from his face. He would miss the Dario family while he was away learning to be a thief.

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A few years later, a 16 year old Jack waited for his newly turned 14 year old friend. He stood on the grassy hill staring out and down on the town, trying to see if he could see his friend as he came. Suddenly, there was a footstep behind him and Jack drew his gun quickly, turning to meet his old friend. A smile spread across his lips as Lupin placed his finger tips on the barrel of the gun and ducked under it.

"Now, is that any way to treat an old friend?"

"It's been a while, Lupin," Jack said, tucking his gun away and extending his hand.

"Yeah, it has," Lupin responded, taking Jack's hand and shaking it. "I see they aren't paying you any better," he joked, noticing Jack's shaggy hair, plain shirt and holey jeans.

"Yeah, well, I spend most of what I make on Mom, Lucia and Dom. Don't really have a lot left over after that." Jack reached into his pants pocket and extracted a cigarette and lighter.

"Did Dom ever forgive you for your dad?"

"Nope," Jack responded, lighting the small stick.

"Did you ever tell him he was raping Lucy?" Lupin pressed.

"Nope," Jack echoed, inhaling the smoke deeply.

"Stubborn," Lupin accused.

"Yep. How's your mom doin'?" Jack asked. Lupin turned away and ran his hand through his hair.

"Dead," he responded, deadpan.

"Aw, Jeez man, I'm sorry. What about the baby?"

"Dead with her," Lupin said. "Gimmee," he said, motioning to the cigarette. Jack handed it over and Lupin took a long drag. He wished he could tell the older boy the truth, that while his mother _had_ died she had left him with a healthy baby girl whom he had named Lealah after his aunt and great aunt. Unfortunately, he had promised his mother and his grandfather to keep the girl secret, keep her away from his father, so he couldn't even tell his closest friends.

"Really, I'm sorry," Jack said, reaching back for his cigarette.

"Thanks," Lupin said uncomfortably. He handed the cigarette back to Jack and Jack ground it out. "So, you tired of working for those mafia rats yet? You're the best marksman I've ever seen; I could sure use you in my gang." Jigen sighed.

"Not yet. They still need me."

"The mafia?"

"No, you idiot, my family. Mom's having a lot of trouble with Dom and…and I don't see how I could get away and them still…be safe. Maybe when Lucy can get a job to back Mom up or when Dom calms down, but not yet."

"I told you I'd keep them safe. You don't believe me?" Lupin asked, sitting on the hill.

"I do, I do. I'm just…worried," Jack said, sitting next to him.

"Whenever you're ready, man," Lupin said.

"Thanks." Jack put his head on his knees. "I wish I could have been at your mom's funeral."

"It was just Gramps and me. Dad's back in jail. Idiot got drunk on his last heist and got caught. Mom would have liked that you're asking about her though. She used to think that you were cute…" Lupin said, his face falling into a sad expression. _Why don't you ever bring that Jack Dario around?_ his mother had asked every now and then, her hands on her cheeks and a smiling brightening her face. _He's always so polite and complementative…makes me feel like a girl again. _

"Mom!" Lupin had always responded. "He's two and a half years older than me!" Mrs. Lupin would laugh at that. That's how he wanted to remember his mom; laughing and kind. But his mom had left him with a little girl who had her eyes.

"Losing your mom and sibling in one day's gotta be tough," Jack said, looking over at him. "You gonna be ok?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He stared out over the town and the two of them didn't talk for a long while. "Remember when we first met? We sat like this and threw rocks at a tree."

"Yeah, and you thought I couldn't hit the knot in the tree!" Jack laughed.

"Did too!" Lupin retorted, just to spite him. They sat on the hill talking and laughing until sunset.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A nineteen year old Lupin sighed in frustration at the doorstep of the Dario residence, waiting for his friend to come out. His hair was frazzled, his face unshaven, and his usually neat blue blazer was wrinkled and spotted. It was almost dark, late in the evening, and Lupin hadn't slept in days, since his decision to leave his 6 year old sister in the care of a friend of the family in New York. It had been almost 24 hours since he'd left his baby sister and he was in bad humor. Finally, Jack stepped out of the door.

"Where the hell have you been?" Lupin snapped angrily.

"Hey, chill the hell out, man! I was saying goodbye," Jack replied just as angrily. Lupin sighed.

"You're right, sorry. There's just been some internal crap going on and it's got me a little stressed. Ok, so, we go, we talk to them, then we run. You got a name thought up? We'll be running for a while, you can't keep going by Jack Dario."

"Not yet. You know I'm a quarter Japanese, right?"

"Oh yeah? I never knew that," Lupin said.

"Yeah, my mom's half. I was thinking something Japanese, but I don't know any Japanese names and I was wondering if you'd help."

"Hm…well…" Lupin mused. "If you're looking to stay inconspicuous, then I'd go with Daisuke. It's just about the most common name you're gonna find for a guy in Japan."

"Dice...kay…alright. What about a last name?"

"It isn't a normal last name, but there's this word that I think would fit you. Jigen. It means 'dimension.' Think of it as starting a new dimension of youself," Lupin said.

"Jee…gin…Jigen. I kind of like that better than Daisuke," he said.

"You already call me by my last name, I'll just call you Jigen. You're taking that dumb hat? You look like a freaking Blues Brothers reject!" Lupin cracked.

"Hey! The hat helps me aim! And the Blues Brothers were funny." Jigen slipped into the passenger seat of Lupin's car and lit a cigarette. "Lupin, you…you sure they'll be ok?" he asked. Lupin looked over at him seriously.

"I guarantee it. Hey man, even if you didn't want to work for me I'd still help you get out of the mafia and keep your family safe. We're friends. What makes you think I'd let anything happen to them while you're standing right here beside me and can easily pull your gun out and pop me in the head?" Lupin said, a very serious expression still on his face. Jigen laughed.

"Thanks, man." He looked over at the younger man. Lupin would probably never know how much this meant to him. It wasn't often that he could count on anyone but himself, and this was the one thing that he couldn't do on his own. He made a silent vow, right then; if they survived, he would make sure, no matter what, that he would show the same loyalty to Lupin that Lupin was showing to him. No matter what, he would stay by Lupin's side until he died or until he paid him back, whichever came first.

End.


End file.
